Dominions Coastal Virginia offshore wind farm ready to go live

The 12-MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) farm in US waters has successfully passed reliability tests and is ready for commissioning, developer Dominion Energy Inc (NYSE:D) said on Wednesday.

The two-turbine demo power plant is located 27 miles (43.45 km) off the coast of Virginia and is the second operational offshore wind park in the US. Its construction is part of a larger commercial-scale development that is expected to reach 2,600 MW of total capacity.

Dominion Energy will now file required documentation with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to complete the technical review stage of the project. This is due to occur by the end of the year, during which time the two 6-MW Siemens Gamesa turbines will remain in operation. The two pilot machines were put in place in June by Denmark’s Ørsted A/S (CPH:ORSTED), which serves as the project’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.

Dominion Energy noted that survey work is undergoing on the 2.6-GW commercial wind project and the construction and operations plan for it will be filed for approval later this year. Around 180 SG 14-222 DD turbines are planned to be used, with construction slated to begin in 2024.